Seasonal Affective Disorder
Also known as: Major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern, SAD, Seasonal depression, Seasonal mood disorder
Methodology & AI Transparency ⓘ
Seasonal Affective Disorder Key Takeaways
Translated by Sarah Jenkins (AI RN Plain-English Translator) at a 7th-grade reading level
- 1 What it does: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons.
- 2 Real-world patient consensus: Clinical coding for Seasonal Affective Disorder uses ICD-10 F30.8 across Depression & Mood specialty care.
- 3 Typical cash cost range: Differential triage of Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8) utilizes medication response pharmacogenomics [Seasonal Affective Disorder F30.8].
- 4 Top reported side effects / signs: Key Depression & Mood biomarkers for Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8): TSH & Free in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: T4 Rule-Out) & Serum Vitamin D in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: & RBC Folate) (25(OH)D 40 – 65 ng/mL (F30.8)).
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What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. It usually starts in the late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer. Some people do have episodes of depression that start in the spring or summer, but that is a lot less common. Symptoms of SAD may include: Sadness Gloomy outlook Feeling hopeless, worthless, and irritable Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy Low energy Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping Carbohydrate cravings and weight gain Thoughts of death or suicide SAD is more common in women, young people, and those who live far from the equator.
Pathophysiology, Underlying Causes & Clinical Presentation
Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8) alters depression & mood homeostasis through hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: cortisol hyperactivity); Cross-referenced with NIH MeSH (Seasonal Affective Disorder), clinical remission targets Serum Vitamin D in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: & RBC Folate) within 25(OH)D 40 – 65 ng/mL (F30.8).
Common Symptoms & Clinical Signs
- • Feeling hopeless, worthless, and irritable
- • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
- • Presentation of Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8): slowed concentration, indecisiveness, in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: and physical heaviness)
- • Secondary Seasonal Affective Disorder clinical sign: loss of interest in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: or pleasure in)
Primary Federal Reference: NIH / National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus Entry ↗
Seasonal Affective Disorder Diagnostic Classification & Lab Markers
| Metric | Verified Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ICD-10-CM Diagnostic Code | F30.8 | WHO / CMS ICD-10-CM Clinical Classification |
| Clinical Specialty Hub | Depression, Bipolar & Mood Disorders | NIH MedlinePlus Health Topics |
| Diagnostic / Lab Marker: TSH & Free in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: T4 Rule-Out) | TSH 0.8 – 2.5 mIU/L (F30.8) | Clinical Reference Target Range |
| Diagnostic / Lab Marker: Serum Vitamin D in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: & RBC Folate) | 25(OH)D 40 – 65 ng/mL (F30.8) | Clinical Reference Target Range |
| Diagnostic / Lab Marker: PHQ-9 Symptom Severity in Seasonal Affective Disorder (F30.8: Score) | < 4 (clinical remission) (F30.8) | Clinical Reference Target Range |
FDA-Monographed Medications & Public Cash Price Reference for Seasonal Affective Disorder
| Medication | Pharmacologic Class | Patient Worth-It | CMS NADAC / Unit | Typical Lowest Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karbinal (Carbinoxamine Maleate) Karbinal • RxCUI 1012904-B23594101 | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist | 80% | $1.1896 | $ 94.15 /mo |
| Desloratadine Clarinex • RxCUI 349420 | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist | 80% | $0.2553 | $ 9.54 /mo |
| Olopatadine Hydrochloride Pataday Once Daily Relief, Eye Allergy Itch and Redness Relief • RxCUI 1797895 | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist | 89% | $5.7473 | $ 9.89 /mo |
| Promethazine Hydrochloride Promethegan, Phenergan • RxCUI 992447 | Phenothiazine | 91% | $1.7321 | $ 5.71 /mo |
| Clarinex (Desloratadine) Clarinex • RxCUI 349420-B78206119 | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist | 86% | $8.8476 | $ 9.54 /mo |
| Promethegan (Promethazine Hydrochloride) Promethegan • RxCUI 992441 | Phenothiazine | 86% | $1.8404 | $ 40.39 /mo |
| Carbinoxamine Maleate Karbinal ER, Karbinal • RxCUI 1795581 | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist | 88% | $1.1896 | $ 14.77 /mo |
| Azelastine Hydrochloride, Fluticasone Propionate Azelastine Hydrochloride and Fluticasone Propionate • RxCUI 1797847 | Corticosteroid | 84% | $2.0210 | $ 90.35 /mo |
| Cyproheptadine Hydrochloride Periactin • RxCUI 866144 | Allergies Agent | 74% | $0.0644 | $ 5.69 /mo |
Peer-Reviewed Human Clinical Trials & Meta-Analyses (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
| Study & Plain-English Finding | Sample (N) | Rigor | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Insights on Efficacy of Adjunctive Cariprazine on Anxiety Symptoms in Patients With: What a 751-Participant Study Found Similar trends were observed for adjunctive cariprazine 1.5 mg/d in subgroups of patients with elevated anxiety symptoms. The Journal of clinical psychiatry • 2025-04-30 • Phase III Randomized Trial | N = 751 | 93/100 | PMID 40315101 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of an mRNA-based seasonal influenza These findings support mRNA-1083 as a single-dose approach to seasonal vaccination against influenza and SARS-CoV-2 in adults ≥50 years. Vaccine • 2026-08-13 • Phase III Randomized Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 42531981 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Simvastatin as Add-On Treatment to Escitalopram in Patients With Major Depression From August 21, 2020, to June 06, 2024, a total of 161 patients were enrolled at 9 sites in Germany, of which 160 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis (placebo: n = 79, simvastatin: n = 81; mean [SD] age,... JAMA psychiatry • 2025-08-01 • Randomized Controlled Trial | N = 161 | 88/100 | PMID 40465256 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Benefits and safety of add-on treatment with lumateperone in depression: a This study suggests that lumateperone can be considered an effective and safe adjuvant treatment for MDD. International clinical psychopharmacology • 2026-01-01 • Randomized Controlled Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 40245260 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on A phase 3, multicenter, gold-standard blind, randomized, compared against a dummy The initial results of this trial indicate that ansofaxine at both the 80 mg/day and 160 mg/day was effective and safe in adult patients with MDD. Translational psychiatry • 2023-05-10 • Phase III Randomized Trial | N = 187 | 88/100 | PMID 37164957 ↗ |
Seasonal Affective Disorder Patient Community & “People Like Me” Threads
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